If you want to learn about what are good kayak paddling techniques, you’ve arrived at the right place. At The Adventure Junkies, we strive to offer our readers the best information about all things outdoors. In this guide, we’ll teach you all about how to paddle a kayak.

KAYAK PADDLING TECHNIQUE: THE BASICS

SIZE YOUR PADDLE

Before we get to how to execute the perfect stroke, you need to know a couple of essentials with regards to paddling. You should make sure that your paddle is the right size for you.

The ideal distance between your hand positions on the paddle is a bit more than your shoulder width. If your hands are too close to each other, there will be no power behind your stroke. If they’re spaced too far, your stroke will be powerful, but you will tire out much faster.

An easy way to figure out where to place your hands is by resting your paddle on your head. Place your hands so that your elbows form a 90-degree angle.

RELAX YOUR GRIP

Also, don’t squeeze the shaft of your paddle. Holding it too tightly strains your arm and hand muscles. Instead, hold it loosely, with slightly opened fingers and a relaxed grip. A good tip is making an O shape with your thumb and index finger with which you hold the shaft.

SIT UP STRAIGHT

Good posture is key if you want to use your body efficiently, as KayakPaddling.net tells us. Sit up with your back straight and make sure your shoulders are relaxed. Do not lean back.

Place your feet against the foot pegs and keep your legs together. This is to allow your torso to rotate better, which makes paddling easier. Ensure that your knees are bent a little bit. You should be able to spread your legs and push them against the inner hull for more balance.

It’s important to realize that it’s your legs and torso that will do most of the paddling work. Your arms and shoulders should just transmit that power. It’s really your torso movement that will propel you forward, not pushing and pulling with your arms. Think of it as somewhat of a dance.

KAYAK PADDLING TECHNIQUE: THE PERFECT STROKE

It’s pretty easy to learn how to paddle a kayak forward. The forward stroke is the most important of them all. We’ll focus on this one in this article. Although everyone can learn how to kayak in one afternoon, there’s always room for improvement.

At first sight, there may not be a significant difference between the strokes a complete beginner makes and those made by an experienced kayaker. That’s just an illusion, though. Skilled paddlers have perfected their kayak paddling technique with dozens of tiny refinements over time. These small tweaks can be difficult to detect.

However, if you watch a beginning and experienced kayaker for a longer period of time, you’ll clearly notice the remarkable difference in performance. Together, those tiny refinements result in more speed, endurance and control.

When you focus on the correct kayak paddling technique, you are able to go faster, be more efficient in your energy usage and cause less strain on your muscles. Below, we’ll look at the steps involved in the perfect forward stroke, as laid out by REI.com. Note that these tips are applicable to all types of kayaks, from wooden to inflatable kayaks.

PHASE 1 – WIND-UP

Start your stroke by winding up your torso in such a way that you can put the paddle’s blade into the water near your feet. If the stroke is on your right side, the right side of your torso should be twisted toward the front of your kayak, also known as the bow. Keeping your lower arm nearly straight, your upper arm will be bend and your upper wrist near your face.

PHASE 2 – CATCH

Then, spear the blade into the water and begin the stroke by unwinding your torso. Keep your lower arm straight. Press your foot on the side of the stroke against the foot peg for more support and power. Make sure to use your core muscles during this movement instead of pulling with your stroke arm.

It’s important to generate most of the power at the start of your stroke. This way, you’ll use the strongest muscles in your torso to generate power. This is also when the blade is at its best angle.

Keeping your upper arm relaxed during the entire movement allows it to rest. Also, remember to hold the paddle loosely.

PHASE 3 – RECOVERY

When the stroke is completed, lift the blade out of the water. Moving it up and away from the hull, use your elbow to direct the movement. Allow your wrist to follow. Make sure to keep your elbow below shoulder level.

As the blade moves up on the previous stroke’s side, it’ll move down on the side of the next stroke. The other side of your torso will now face forward to the bow. It’s wound up and ready for the following stroke.

VIDEO: PROPER TECHNIQUE FOR PADDLING A KAYAK

The perfect forward stroke is a continuous motion. It’s the most important kayak paddling technique to master. When executed correctly, you’re able to cover greater distances in less time and with less effort. Again, remember to use your torso to propel you forward, using your arms only to add slight pushes and pulls whenever necessary.

There are a couple of extra things you can do to improve your forward stroke. It helps to think about the paddle as an extension of your body. Imagine it’s a part of your body and your movements will be much smoother.

Another tip is to imagine that you throw a punch with your hand, followed soon by the other. A great punch, like a good stroke, is powered by a recoiling torso, not by arm strength.

The post A Beginners Guide to Kayak Paddling Techniques appeared first on The Adventure Junkies.

This is where we here at The Adventure Junkies come into play. As experts in all things outdoors, we have a thing or two to share about kayaking. From the parts of a kayak to how to get in a kayak, we’re here to help you. In this article, we’ll walk you through the steps involved in getting safely in a kayak.

HOW TO GET IN A KAYAK…

First of all, it’s important to realize that there’s a huge difference between getting in a canoe and getting in a kayak. You pretty much step into a canoe and that’s about it. When it comes to kayaks, though, it’s a bit trickier.

Many kayaking enthusiasts say that a kayak is an extension of one’s body. So, as Paddling.com rightly states, you don’t so much step into a kayak than actually put it on. Kayaks are much more wobbly than canoes, making it quite a challenge to make it into one without going swimming. Especially beginning kayakers may struggle to properly get in a kayak.

Rule number one is to get your butt into the kayak as quickly as possible. Once that’s done, your center of gravity will be low and you will be much less likely to tip over. The real challenge lies between standing up and sitting down (or vice versa when getting out of your kayak). Read on for a step-by-step guide on how to do it.

…FROM A DOCK

When entering a kayak from a dock, the first step is to put your paddle across the boat, perpendicular to it and leaning on the dock. By doing so, you can use it to pull your kayak back if it drifts away.

Then, once you control the kayak’s position with your paddle, you approach it, keeping your body as low to the dock as possible. Try to keep your center of gravity low and your body balanced. Never try to get in a kayak from an upright position, as that will certainly result in a splash.

Keeping most of your body on the dock, put your feet into the kayak’s cockpit first. Once your feet are in and you’ve found balance, slowly lower the rest of your body into the boat. You can keep your hands on the dock and put your body weight on them when you do this.

While this might seem easy, it does require some practice before you get the hang of it. Getting out of a kayak onto a dock is also a process you have to practice a few times. REI.com offers some tips on that as well.

…FROM A BEACH, WITH A PARTNER

Another likely place from which you’ll start your epic kayaking trip is a beach. If you have a partner—friend, colleague or spouse —with you, this process will be fairly easy.

Before you enter your kayak, however, it’s important to consider the position of your kayak. This depends on what kind of material it’s made of. Plastic kayaks are sturdier and can handle rougher treatment. This means that you can let part of it—the stern—rest on the beach when you’re getting in. The cockpit will be at the edge of the water while the bow is floating.

Kayaks made of composite materials such as carbon fiber or fiberglass, however, are more delicate. It’s best to enter those when they’re floating entirely to avoid scraping the hull.

Your partner can make it much easier for you to enter the kayak, simply by holding the stern and using his or her hands to stabilize the boat. You then step into the cockpit, lowering your butt and body until you’re in the seating position.

Once you’re in, a simple push from your partner will send you on your way.

…FROM A BEACH, WITHOUT PARTNER

Getting in a kayak from a beach without a partner is a bit trickier. Not being able to rely on another pair of hands, you’re responsible for staying balanced yourself. In this case, the same applies to your kayak’s position in the water as it did with a partner. Plastic kayaks can rest partly on the beach while composite kayaks should be floating when you’re getting in.

To help you stay balanced, you can use your paddle. Place it on the back of the kayak, just behind the cockpit, at a 90-degree angle with the kayak. Make sure one blade rests on the beach or, if using a composite kayak, on a firm place just below the surface of the water.

Then, standing next to your kayak, squat down and, with one hand, grab both the paddle shaft and the cockpit coaming. Squat down deeply to keep your center of gravity as low as possible. Not bending your knees decreases your stability greatly.

Now, leaning on your hand that holds the paddle and the cockpit coaming, place both your feet in the kayak. Make sure to keep your weight above the paddle. When your feet are in, simply continue by sliding your legs into the boat.

Bring the paddle in front of you. Use your paddle or hands to push your kayak away from the beach. Off you go!

VIDEO: HOW TO GET INTO AND OUT OF A KAYAK SMOOTHLY

HOW TO ATTACH A SPRAY SKIRT

Now that you’ve learned how to get in a kayak, let’s continue with a lesson in attaching a spray skirt. These things are great to keep you dry when kayaking, effectively sealing off the inside of your kayak.

Once you’re comfortably settled in the cockpit of your kayak, lean backward and attach your spray skirt to the back of the cockpit coaming. Then, leaning forward, you run your fingers along the edge of your spray skirt and wrap its front over the coaming’s front. Continue with wrapping the rest of the spray skirt’s edges over the cockpit coaming.

Ensure that the grab loop of your spray skirt is outside of your cockpit and in front of you. This way, you can easily get to it if necessary.

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